Henry bedell leach



HENRY BEDELL LEACH-OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 87,104,

:lated February 23,l 18.69.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLUID-METER.

The Schedule referred to in these Let'ters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom tt may concern:

bers, into which the water is alternately received, and from which it is displaced,as the chambers fill, in accordance with .and by the movement of reciprocating pistons, the water-chambers being connected with a series of valves and valve-ports, and water-passages, so arranged and connected to the pistons that the movement of each piston, as the chamber flushes, or is lled, shall operate one of the valves, opening an exhaust from another chamber into the eduction-passage, and also opening a passage from the inductionpipe into a chamber from which the piston is moving; and

My invention consists -primarily in combining two v tight pistons, or boxes, with a water-measuring cylinder or case each box being so arranged, that in its alternate movements a water-compartment is made, first on one end, and next uponthe opposite end of it, and each piston being so connected with the valve-mechan/ism, that, by its reciprocating movements, vit alternately opens and closes the induction and eduction-passages leading into and from the water-compartments, through which lthe other' piston works.

The drawings represent a water-meter embodying my invention.

A shows aplan of the meter,the valve-case cover, or cap, being removed.

Bris a verticalsection, ltaken on the line :z: x.

G is a horizontal section on the line z z.

D, a central vertical section on the line y y.'

a denotes a metal case, preferably made cylindrical inform, and with a vertical partition, l1, extending centrally across it, and dividing its interior into two main chambers, or compartments c d, of equal capacity.

In each of these chambers is a tight box, or piston e, or e', of about half the height of the chambeijand fitting within it, so as to fillv 'the compartment laterally, or from side to side, as seen at O, the iit being loose enough, however, to enable the piston to move vertically from end to end ofthe chamber.

f denotes the head ofthe cylinder,'which head separates the piston-chambers c d from a valve-chamber, g, into which chamber leads the induction-pipe it.

The head f forms a valve-seat, and is madelwith valve-ports and. lwater-passages leading through it, entrance into'and from such ports and4 passages being controlled V bytwoDj y,slide-valves, t' .7o. l y

Each valve worksoverthree ports, al, or l, m, or m Y,

n, ,or n', the under surface of the valve making a communication at all times from the centre port fml m to the port l l', or to the port n n'.

Each centre port opens at bottom into a water-way, or passage o o leading into the eduction-pipe p, and each side port, l l, opens directly from the top of the water-chamber c, or d, while each side port, n n', opens from'the bottom ofthe corresponding chamber, through a vertical water-way, or passage q, `or q', extending through the partition, as'seen at E, which represents a vertical section on the line o o, said section being reduced.

Each side port, l Z', n n', when not covered by the valve, opens into the valve or induction-chamber g, as seen at A and E.

Each valve, t kris hung to the end of a link, r, which connects it to an arm, s, ony a rocker-shaft, t, mounted in suitable bearings, each shaft having an arm, u, at its opposite end, theend of which arm is jointed to a vertical slide-rod, f'v, sliding in the partition l, and havy ing projecting from its end a pin, w, extending through a slot, x, in the partition, and into a groove, y, in the adjacent face of the. piston e, as seen at D.

The operation of the' meter is as follows:

Suppose the parts to be in the position shown atA and D. The induction-pipe hfbeing connectedwith the service-pipe, and the cock ofthe service-pipe being open, water will now rush through pipe It, into the valvechamber g, and thence through the port n and partition-passage g', into the bottom of the -water-compart-v ment d, under the piston e', and, by upward pressure against such piston, will force it up.

This upward movement takes place without disturb'- ance of the slide-rod pin w, projecting into the groove y in the piston, until the piston is just completing its ascent, and during'this upward movement, until the pin w is struck. The partition-port n, opening into waterway q, leading into the bottom of the other compartment o, remains open, as seen at A', the piston e being up, as seen at D.

As the pistou @nears the cylinder-head j; the shoul-- der z, at the bottom of the groove y, strikes the pin w, and forces up its slide-rod c, and this rod being connected to the valve i, said valve is slid over and covers the port it, thereby opening communication, under said valve, from said port a to the'centre port m, and thence through the eduction-pipe p.

This movement of the valve t uncovers the port l, leading from the induction-chamber into the 'chamber c, and the water having filled the compartment d, b'eneath the piston e', will now rush through port l, into chamber c, over the piston e, forcing down such piston, the water in the compartment beneath whiehurill be forced through ports Z m into and' through eductionpipe p, the piston e remaining meanwhile stationary. l

As piston e is completing its downward movement, the shoulder z, at top of its groove y, strikes the adjacent pin w, throwing down its slide-rod e, and there by moving the slide-valve k, opening theinductionport o', over the piston e', and connecting the partitionport n', and centre or eduction-port m', thereby opening passage from the bottom of compartment d into eduction-pipe.

Water will now rush through port o', forcing down piston e', back to position seen at D, piston e remaining up until piston e', in completing its downward move ment, strikes its pin w, and opens port Z, leading into partition-passage g, and thence under piston e, water now rushing through these passages, andforcing up said piston to position seen at D, piston e meanwhile remaining stationary, the water over piston e passing through port l, under yalve i, into port m, and thence out through eduction-pipe It will thus be seen that a continuous flow orwater through the meter is kept up,- water passing lirst, for instance, into the upper part of one chamber, next into the lower part of the chamber on the opposite side of cylinder, next into the lower part of the first chamber, and next into the upper part of opposite chamber, the Water being ejected through the ednction-pipe, from the opposite side of each piston, by the movement of such piston.

vIt ,will therefore be seen, that by connecting either slide-rod with an index-mechanism, located Vin a chainber, j, or other suitable position, the number of strokes of each rod, and the corresponding number of times each compartment, c d, is illed and emptied, can be registered, as in a gasgneter, the amount of water consnmed being thus determined.`

Tater-meters thus constructed and arranged can be made very cheaply, the pistons c c being cylindrie segments, and the partition b and the valve-chest, or plate f, heilig cast with the lwater-passages through them, while the case is a plain cast cylinder, the inner surface of which is bored smooth. I

The Whole arrangement is very simple and efficient. There is but very little friction, the weight of neither piston resting upon the surfaces against whichtslides. No packing is required, and the parts move freely and easily under all circumstances.

It will be seen that there are four measuring-chambers, or that the space upon each side of each piston, or both at `the bottom and top of each chamber, is used to receive and measure the water, this enabling a continuous ow of water to be better maintaiued'than by the use of a single piston, or of two pistons, one moving with the other.

The partition b may be dispensed with, and the water-Ways and slide-rods be placed in the sides of the cylinder, or case a, but I consider the arrangement shown to be the preferable one.

I claim, in combination with the metal cylinder, or case, the pistons e e', working in opposite parts of such cylinder, each piston being so arranged as to operate, by its reciprocatingsmovement, and at the end both of its upward and downward stroke, a slide-valve, which controls ent-rance into and passage from the water-measuring spaces ou the opposite ends of the piston, which works in the opposite pa\rt of the cylinder, each piston moving while the other is stationary, all substantially as described. I

I also claim, in combination with the two pistons, and the water-receivin g and delivering chambers, the partition b, having water-ways, q q', connecting with the induction and education-ports, substantially as shown and described.

I also claim the arrangement, within the partition b,

'f the slide-rods v v, to operate the valves i k, substantially as shown and described.

I also claim, in combination with each piston, the shoulders z zj, for operating the slide-rod pin fw. substantially as described.

HENRY BEDELL LEAOH.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY. FRANCIS GoULD.- 

